Saints Jump Out to Big Early Lead, Need to Hang On for 7-5 Win

Saints Jump Out to Big Early Lead, Need to Hang On for 7-5 Win

June 10, 2012 at 4:09 PM

ST. PAUL, MN (June 10, 2012) – The Saints jumped out to a 7-0 lead and had to hang on for a 7-5 victory over the Sioux Falls Pheasants on Sunday afternoon at Midway Stadium in front of 5,045.

With the Saints leading 7-4 going to the top of the ninth they called upon Anthony Claggett, who earned his first save on Saturday night with a perfect 0.2 of an inning of relief. Sunday afternoon wasn’t as easy. Cristian Guerrero led off with a double and Mark Shorey followed with a walk. Trevor Lawhorn then lined a single to center scoring Guerrero and making it a two run game with the tying runs on first and second. Claggett settled down and struck out Al Quintana, but walked Joe Anthonsen to load the bases. In the tightest of situations Claggett came through striking out Jonny Kaplan looking and that brought up Cory Morales. He was 8-15 in the series up to that point, but Claggett got him to fly out to center to end the game.

The story early on was the Saints offense and starting pitcher Chris Odegaard. The offense gave Odegaard a seven run cushion courtesy of two big three-run homers. In the fourth inning Ole Sheldon led off with a single and with one out Jose Hernandez extended his hitting streak to 18 games with a single to right. It’s the sixth longest hitting streak in Saints history. Benji Johnson clubbed an RBI double to give the Saints a 1-0 lead. Ronnie Bourquin then drilled a three-run bomb to straight away center, his second of the season, giving the Saints a 4-0 lead. Bourquin finished the day 2-2 with a double, homer, three RBI and a run scored.

In the fifth Willie Cabrera walked, Tanner Townsend reached on an infield single to third. Hernandez then drilled one just down the left field line for a three-run homer, giving the Saints a 7-0 lead.

Odegaard was cruising through five innings and didn’t allow a runner past first base. In the sixth, however, the Pheasants sent eight men to the plate. Anthonsen led off with a single and Kaplan walked. Morales doubled to left, but Anthonsen was thrown out trying to score. After Odegaard got the second out of the inning, Cesar Nicolas grounded a two strike pitch up the middle to score two runs and make it 7-2. Guerrero followed that up with a two-run shot off the scoreboard in left-center, his eighth of the season and fifth in six games, to make it 7-4. Odegaard settled down from there and went a career high 7.2 innings allowing four runs on nine hits while walking one and striking out six.

The Saints welcome the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks into town on Monday night at 7:05 p.m. for the first of a three game series. The Saints are TBA and the RedHawks send RHP Alex Caldera (3-1, 1.78) to the mound. It is How dost thou use a plunger? Let Me Count the Ways…Toilet Paper Drive presented by Innovative Solutions. The game can be heard on Club 1220 KLBB and heard in the ballpark on 87.9 FM.